Star Wars: The Precursor
by Pyrodogs
Summary: A Millennium has passed since the Eternal Empire underneath the leadership of the Outlander had left the known galaxy and returned to Wild Space, leaving both the Republic and Empire in shatters. Follow this prequel in the eyes of a young Jedi Knight bringing in the story's hero, a then 9-year old Cyllen Delandi, to the Jedi and how she ultimately brings him to the man to be.
1. Chapter 1

**This whole story and future storyline I'm writing was inspired by a series of Role Plays I did with a couple of my friends on SWTOR when I used to play the MMO. But I fell in love with the story and decided to write it and give it's due. Full Credit to my friends who had given me inspiration to write this story as well as permission to use their characters for this story. I will try to make as many updates as I can, but with classes and looking for work, time isn't really my friend. But please enjoy and thank you!**

 **Chapter 1:**

"Ord Mantell?" The young Togruta Jedi Knight asked in confusion, "Master Quinan, if I may, why am I being sent to a planet like Ord Mantell?"

In front of the young knight was a Human Jedi Master in her early forties, typing on her terminal before looking at the Togruta with her serene blue eyes, "Because the Council assigned you to go there. I know you don't like getting excessive amounts of mud in between your toes, but do remember that you have just become a full fledged Jedi Knight and you have yet to be sent on a mission as one. So what's the problem, Rethren?"

"It's just that I didn't placed so much work and effort to become a Jedi just have my first mission as a Knight be wasted on some backwater planet!" Rethren bursted in refusal, a distinct spark flashes in her eyes as she attempts to stand her own ground. But unfortunately, Master Quinan knows this spark of defiance all too well as she simply raised one brow, making the young Knight the feeling of her Authoritative presence she only rarely gives off.

"Do you wish to run that by me again, KNIGHT Cruachan?"

Rethren felt a chill crawled down her spine as the Master made her very clear point of her rank and who has the better authority between them. She knew better than to find what would happen if she would continue, so she ended her persistence then and there.

"N-No… Master Quinan, I'm fine…"

The Older Jedi then relaxes herself, sighing in slight annoyment but also an understanding one as well, "Look, I know with being a new Jedi, you want to show the whole Galaxy who you are and what you can do. But remember that a Jedi never strive for such things, so be patient and take it slow. You're young and have a lot of unknowns waiting for you in the future. Understood?"

Rethren sighs as well in her admittance to defeat the wise Master's words, "Yes, Master… Now, what's this assignment on the planet?"

"A Jedi Watchman in the sector has requested for assistance for investigating a possible Force Anomaly on the planet."

"Force Anomaly? Wait…" The Knight finally realizes, "You don't mean-"

Master Quinan nods her head before she could finish her sentence, "Yes, the Force within a child on the planet has just awaken."

"Then, why does the Watchman need assistance? Isn't finding Initiates usually something they can do on their own?" Rethren asked trying to grasp the situation. Not once had she ever found something illogical and outlandish as this before.

"Yes, that's normally the case, but there's something about this child that requires one to be cautious. But you'll find more when you meet the Watchman on Ord Mantell. You should head out now, time is of an essence here and hopefully he'll be safe."

Despite the confusion, Rethren nods. What could be so special about this particular child? Was there something wrong in finding him? Was there something about his Force awakening that the Order wants? Or did something happen to the child which would prove her worst case fear, did this child already had become corrupted and she was to be tasked with striking him down and returning him to the Force before he could causes any potential damage to the balance?

The very thought had made her sick to her stomach, wondering if that would be such a reality, the thought of striking down a child due to corruption. But she eventually brought her thought back to reality and shaked her head, focusing onto the mission that needs to be done - because she herself had memorized the Code.

 _There is no Emotion, There is the Peace._

Running that line through her head over and over for a few moments to herself, she knows what she would have to do if it came down to it. Not happy on the thought, but willing to accept it.

She bowed to Master Quinan before taking her leave out of the room and making her way through and up the Temple floors.

Making her first stop in the Temple was her own little quarters on the second floor to gather her essential items like her travel bag, some freeze dried provisions from the personal storage as well as two canisters of water, Holocommunicator, and finally her Lightsaber. Once she leaves her room, everywhere she goes while on her way to the Hanger Bay is filled with every and all sorts of Jedi in the Order. Young to mature Knights and Masters going on with their day, The Initiates ranging from ages four to thirteen attending their daily classes or studying to learn what new knowledge they can. Every child passing by makes her think back on her days as an a youthful initiate herself, the excitement of learning, the hard work, and the accomplishment of completing even a simple task were all that ever loved in the experience. But growing up does catch up to even the very best of people, now she's a fully fledged Jedi Knight, and have duties that far exceeds a mere child. She needed to grow up, because she _has_ to.

Placing her thoughts of then to the very now, she finally had reached the shuttle bay - where a single shuttle was docked and laying in wait for her. Meeting the pilots of the shuttle, and signing off on a pile of authentication paperwork, she was off. Off to what was wrong with Ord Mantell.

Hours had passed on the journey to the Mid-Rim planet and the trip was just like any other Long-Term Lightspeed-Jumps, down right boring. This crossed Rethren's mind plenty of times during the voyage, looking out the window was nothing but light streaks as an infinite amount of stars pass by the ship like a grass on a road trip. She tries to attain herself and her patience with little activities like walking around the passenger bay, counting every bolts in the hull she could find, playing some mind games, and twirling her thumbs. All to keep her busy, but all resulted to die out quickly.

"Urg! This is taking to long!" She said to herself as stand from her seat once more, she then made her way to the cockpit, the pilot keeping control and monitoring every flashing button and screens on the console. He's just as calm as he was at the beginning of the flight, like the long hours hasn't waned on him at all. This kinda infuriates the young Togruta, but she kept herself collected, knowing that she shouldn't fall into Jealousy so easy.

"How long until we get there?" She asked out of curiosity. The Pilot checks the screen that's displaying his navigation systems, it's quite a wonder how a programs the size of a nut could know where exactly they are in the middle of a hyperspace jump, this really does astonishes her for the longest time.

"We're nearly there, Master Jedi. We should be in orbit in ten minutes." The pilot reported, he began quite a long process of pressing buttons and flipping switches, preparing the shuttle to jump out of hyperspace.

"Since we got the time, what am I expecting to see on Ord Mantell? Besides what the Temple's Astrographer had told us about the planet, which isn't really much." Rethren took the chance, she needed to know what this planet that was absolutely foreign to her is. What could be so different about the planet? What creatures does she has to protect herself from? What kind of people does she need to keep an eye out for?

"Well… besides the earthquakes, hot weather, smelly settlements, and an air pollution count to boot - It's just you're typical crime planet, really."

She took a moment to take in this obviously lacking information and process, then it finally clicks in her head, "Wait... Did you just say "Crime Planet"? What do you mean by crime planet?"

The pilot looks at her to only raise his brow, "You didn't know? Well, they don't call Ord Mantell a Jewel planet for nothing, it's one of the home of a major criminal gang - the Black Suns." he heard one of the screens flash and he flipped a few switches and pressed a button before continuing, "Not only that, but it's one of the major trade ports of the Black Market, there's usually hundreds of Pirates and Mercenaries of all kinds there. Especially now since it's been a little under a millennium since the Zakuul Empire went back to Wild Space."

"Why hasn't the Republic done anything about the crime wave on the planet? Ord Mantell is part of their charted territory." She asked worryingly as the thought of a single planet of the Republic being so corrupted sickens her.

The pilot could only shake his head and shrugs, "With what? Remember that splinter groups within the Republic had broken off from the Alliance with the Zakuul Empire during the Uprisings. Hell, the Republic nearly lost three quarters of its very strength during that time and they were all decimated. By the time Zakuul left, the Republic was at near collapse - same goes for the Empire too. It may had been a thousand years, but our well-esteemed Government is still shambles and could barely keep over their territory."

He's right, that's what really had happen a thousand years ago. At first it was just another big war between the Galaxy's two largest factions: The Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire. Like those before, this new fledgling war already had an immense toll, another war of attrition. Then came the Zakuul Empire, out of the Wild Space sector and utterly obliterate both factions with ease. First ruled by a man thought to be immortal, then by his power crazed son, and then by his bloodthirsty daughter - everyone of them had dominated and ruled over all of known space, with both the now Republic and Empire underneath their thumb.

Then came the Alliance, a resistance pact formed between both factions with the help of outsiders, thieves, mercenaries, and Zakuulians who had Couped against their own nation - all led by the one called the Outlander. The Royal family had ultimately fallen and the Outlander had taken up the new mantle of Eternal Emperor and brought peace between Zakuul and the rest of the Galaxy. But this peace had not lasted long as a year later, the Uprisings began from both the Empire and the Republic. Zakuul, unfortunately responded, the Outlander knew what they had to do. After years of fighting the revolts, Zakuul ultimately returned to Wild Space and both the Republic and the Empire were left laid to waste.

Rethren remembered this story from her childhood training at the temple, Master Boug'wab was telling the story of the heroic Outlander who sacrificed everything to stop a once tyrannical Empire from destroying the entire galaxy and came to become it's leader to bring peace, then ultimately turned their power against the people they sworn to protect. She remembered this story very well and it terrified her to the very core. Knowing that one who could be revered as the hero and actions to stand by it, turning on their own for the sake peace.

' _Peace'_ , she thought to herself, ' _That isn't peace… it's just another bloody lie.'_ She couldn't help but run that through her head, ending violence by resorting to violence, it's redundant and only creates more violence. She despised it, more than anything else.

As Rethren still pondered, the shuttle had finally left the hyperspace jump with Ord Mantell in sight. She brought herself back to focus and returned to the cockpit. As they approached closer to the planet, she could not help but feel something off about it. Feeling that there are two aberrations in the Force - one unknown, while the other feels very Malicious and Dark.

"What the Hell is going on here…" She couldn't help but wonder. Something strange is happening, somewhere on Ord Mantell, but wondering can do nothing for her now. She knew something about this mission was off, and soon, she's going to find out what.

Chapter 1 end.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The town of Hellian had weather just as the shuttle pilot had suggested, hot and absolutely humid. The bustling marketplace wasn't that helpful either as the large crowd of people could emit enough heat to roast a bird, Rethren hated it but could only move on since this is the point of no return. She's far too into the mission now and can't go back until she's finished, especially now since a child's life could be at stake.

As she continue further through the marketplace, the crowd grew thicker and thicker as the deeper she goes. She began to notice that after every merchant stall passed by, the merchandise being sold becomes more and more conspicuous, including the crowd surrounding the stalls. Keeping to her suspicions, she closed her eyes and sniffed at the air, using her hunter's training from childhood along with slight enhancement of the Force to heighten her sense of smell. Moving past the smells of the aromas of street food, fruits, and mechanical oils - there was a certain off-smelling odor within the air, faint, but it's there. She pinpoints the slight trace of the smell, turning on her heel in a full circle to a distinct crowd surrounding a vendor stall behind her. Only able to catch a small glimpse through a small sliver of view in the strangely tight crowd, she saw it and it was as she suspected, Spice. In it's red, notorious form.

Rethren could only clicks her tongue knowing that she could do nothing about the planet's ethics. But she could only guess that this is what a "Crime Planet" is like, and she can't afford to unnecessarily bring attention to herself, or she could lose time and the child's fate could be sealed. Grudgingly, she walked away, reminding herself of the mission at hand and that this was not the time to lose focus. A few moments later, she eventually reached the rendezvous point where she was supposed to meet the Watchman, but he was nowhere in sight.

"Where could he have gone…" she whispered to herself as she looked around, worried that something could have happened to the Watchman. Then out of nowhere, Rethren could feel a metal barrel pressed against her back and someone grabbing her by her arm. From the back of her left ear, a rustic and sandpaper-like voice enters her ear within a form of a whisper.

"Move and I'll paint the dirt with your insides, Jedi." The man holding the blaster to her back warned as he pulls back the blaster's hammer, charging his weapon's energy output to create the next shot more powerful. Understanding her situation, Rethren quietly nods without turning back to the man. Playing along and try to keep a bad situation from going worse.

"Do as I say and you get to live a little longer, the boss wants to have a few words." He presses his blaster against her back again, signaling her to move. She complied, following their instruction and leaving the marketplace and towards the downtown area. Rethren and her armed captive eventually reached into an empty alley way, at the end of the way stands five men - all armed, as well as a lone cloaked figure. All the armed goons seemed to have a disgusting-like grin on their faces, the cloaked individual simply walked to Rethren, body movement indicating they were observing her, studying her.

"I hope my compatriot wasn't too aggressive… Mister Arig could sometimes be crude, but his efficiency to do a job always satisfies my demands." The cloaked figure spoke.

"So kidnapping a young woman with a blaster to her back and forcing her into a dark alley way, where a group of suspicious men are waiting with giant and disgusting grins on their faces like they are about to do something very criminal." Rethren returns the snark, mainly in attempt to hide that she already knows her current situation will make her mission twice as harder. She shines her best fake, but still convincible, to her kidnappers who are all but slightly fazed at the description she had spoken. Turning back to the man holding the blaster to her back, flashing her wide eyes as she turns her deceitful and charming smirk to him. "Now tell me, Big Boy, am I right? Or am I right?"

He barely budge a brow as he keeps his stern face, "Sorry lady, but I'm not all for the whole interspecies revolution, but my men on the other hand… well, they might."

A sickening thought just rolled through her mind upon hearing the disgusting words and looking at the rest of the group. Some part of her just simply want to vomit then and there, but she had to keep herself in control. All this was interrupted as the cloaked man bursted an order for them all to quiet as his communicator began to ring. He pulled out the device from within his cloak and in hand, activating the comm - an holo image of another mercenary appeared.

"Sir, we found the boy. He bolted as soon as we spotted him and we're in pursuit." The holographic mercenary reported. He was holding his blaster rifle at the ready, his body language screams "Capture or Shoot to Kill" to Rethren. She have to make her move, now more than ever.

"Get on with it then! Capture the child and bring him to me alive, even if you have to shoot his legs to do so." The cloaked figure barked his order and then deactivates the communicator. "Apologies for the sudden interruption, young lady, but it looks like I just found the thing that both you and I are looking for."

The mysterious figure turned on his heel as he began to walk away, not before turning to his men and give one request to them.

"Dispose the Jedi. Now, preferably." The stranger ordered as he walks into the shadow of the alley way, the men hold their weapons to the ready, the leader of the mercs presses the blaster barrel to her back hard.

"Such a shame, you're were quite the pretty little thing for a disgusting alien." he whispered into her ear as his blaster pistol revs into a complete charge. Then out of nowhere the cloaked stranger is thrown out of the shadow and slams into the right wall of the alley, zipping past Rethren and behind her. Then came a storm of small debris, trash, garbage cans, and rocks - all slamming the four henchman - knocking each one of them out cold.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Rethren using her dominant hand to strongly grip the mercenary's arm that is holding her in a choke hold, while she simultaneously swing her left hand towards her back and grabbing the blaster barrel - shoving it's aim away from her back side before it could fire. With a complete swing of motion, she uses her opponent's body weight against him, throwing him over her shoulder and into the ground. She then straightened her left arm into a ninety degree angle and slams him in the chest with her elbow, following up with strong punch down towards the perfect middle between the man's stomach and groin - forcing the wind out of him and knocking him out.

After making sure that the man was unconscious, she turned around to find another figure - one wearing a well tailored set of leather armor, with a leather cowl turned over his head, and a yellow-blade saberstaff wielded in his dominant hand behind his back. The man was using his free hand to use the Force and blasting his dark cloaked opponent with a stream of force winds - keeping him at bay. This only made him upset as he pulls out and activates a red-bladed lightsaber and shooting a string of Force Lightning to combat the Force powered gust.

Deadlocked into a stand still, Rethren could only watch in amazement to see two foes powerful in the Force, keeping each other at bay and showing a powerful display of Force mastery in their own and separate ways.

"Should have known you would show yourself, Basda! I knew you couldn't keep away from your defeat, Jedi!" The now revealed Dark User yells as he struggles to upkeep his purple lightning.

"And you were a fool to have think I would've let you get off so easily, Feris." The leather armored Jedi returned, he intensified the output of his Force usage - strengthening the gusting wind tunnel into a more powerful air storm, knocking the Sith off his balance and pushing him back as it overpowers him. Well timed, the Jedi flashes out and then reappearing behind the off balanced Sith, already in the middle of a pivoting spin. Displaying grace and mastery, the Jedi makes two connected and large swing of his saber staff, and his yellow saber easily cuts through his opponent's back: in between his shoulder blades and at the lower back. Severing the Sith's spine in both places, causing extreme damage, before he collapse to the ground - without uttering any sound nor making anymore movements after.

The Jedi in leather armor deactivates his weapon and rehooked it to the back of his belt before pulling down his cowl. A Rodian appears underneath the hood and leathers, he turns to Rethren, observing her with his large galaxy-like eyes before speaking.

"You must be the young Knight that I hear so much from Melvis. You're not that bad at handling yourself, which is good since she could not stop talking about you." The Rodian Jedi introduces his first line of conversation. Curiosity is written all over Rethren's face as she is puzzled at the appearance of her rescuer - this IS the first Rodian Jedi that she had ever encountered in her life.

Picking up on her puzzled look, he could only chuckle, "Don't worry, child. I know it is confusing to see my kind among the Order's rank because of the Purge, but we are here. Even though it is rare these days." he fixes the strap to his armor on his left arm, "My name is Basda D'Willin. Master of the Order, Watchman assigned to this sector, and let's not forget old friend of your master. Pleasure to have finally meet you, Rethren Cruachan."

She could only utter only a simple "Pleasure to meet you too," trying to hide her amazement - knowing that it could be offensive to the Rodian. "Master D'Willin, since you're here… are you the one I'm supposed to meet?"

He nods as he pulls his leather cowl over his head, "Indeed child, that I am."

"If you would give me the courtesy, Master. But why would a Master, as powerful as you, request assistance from me to finding a child?" She couldn't help but ask the one question burned into her mind.

D'Willin only turned over his shoulder to see if the rest of the alley was cleared, "Do you often question the terms of your missions assigned by the Council, Knight?"

"N-No, Master. I don't… But I can't help but wonder why need me for this when you seem very capable to handle this on your own."

He chuckles, "Ah, child. One thing you learn from this life is that the Force does it's will in very mysterious ways. And the only thing we CAN do is to brace ourselves and hopefully get through it alright." Seeing the even more confused look on Rethren's face, the Rodian Master simply motions his suction cup-like finger to her, "Come, young Knight. We still have a lost child to find." He walks off.

Still unable to understand the situation, she sighs and nods, following the Master. Hoping the boy is still safe by the time they find him.

* * *

Further into the downtown district of Hellian, night has fallen over the town and a ray of moonlight partially shines a dark alley way as a young boy - nine years of age - is illuminated and back against the wall behind him. He could only try to push himself further into the brick wall as two mercenaries - both armed with rifles set to stun - slowly approaches the boy.

"Okay, kid, you could stop running now. We're not here to hurt you, we only want to help…" The mercenary who reported to the Sith over the holocomm said as his partner is moving towards the child's right side to prevent him from escaping. "We just need you to come with us, that's all. You won't get hurt and we can help you get home."

The boy remains silent, his face still unseeable due to the alley's shadow that is casted over him. He could only grip the wall at his back, shaking nervously. The men could easily see this as they made their move. The leader of the two approached the boy closer, and kneeling down on one knee to get to the boy's level. "Now, there's nothing to fear. We we're the good guys and we can hel- H… Huh… ?"

A small sound of flesh piercing and blood squirt is heard. The man slowly and shakily moved his eyes down towards his side, finding a small vibroknife in his left side and underneath his rib cage. In shock, he also finds the boy's hand holding the grip of the knife as well, he looks to the child. He could only let out a small sound of pain in reaction before the child pulled out the knife, then reverse gripping it, and finally sliced the man's throat from end to end. All in one single motion.

Blood rushes out of the mercenary's neck, drenching the boy during it's process. The man collapses to the floor dead, and his partner hastily stepped back and attempting to ready his rifle - but he was too late. To his surprise, the boy had already jumped and grabbed the merc by the armor plating on his chest and pulling himself closer as his bloodied knife is rushing underneath his grappling arm. The boy quickly stabs the knife into the his neck, and then twists it with all his might to prevent the man from uttering a single word. Choking on his own blood and the knife planted into his trachea, the man collapses to the ground as well, and no longer moving.

The boy removed his knife from the deceased's damaged neck and only holding it tightly in the palms of his hand, muttering a line to himself quietly:

"... Rule thirteen… Never sever the head of the snake… end it's life… by a blade to it's throat…"

The clouds roll over and passes the moon, it's light shines brighter and wider over the alleyway, and underneath the blood cover the boy's face - only his cold and deadened eyes is seen through the darkness.

\- Chapter 2 end.


End file.
